If you want happiness for an hour: take a nap. If you want happiness for a day: go fishing. If you want happiness for a year: inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime: help someone else.—Chinese Proverb

In the Global Classroom we have one rule.

Rule #1 Give

Simple. All encompassing. Respect, help, time, patience, attention, a hand, an ear, or a wish for all.

When I owned InFusion, Kenny came in everyday to get his coffee . He said, “Your main thing is to keep your main thing your main thing.” Such a profound and simple statement.

The Global Classroom Project’s “main thing” is giving back. We earn the global trip by first participating in a local service project. Then we give through the socially just fundraising business each student builds. Once abroad we spend the majority of our time in the community completing a service project. Finally, if living abroad is going to be life changing experience, it has to be life changing. Therefore, we work with students upon return to reinvest in their communities and change their world using their new perspective and agency.

The more we give in our time on this planet, the more we get…happiness, money, love, respect.